Day One
by Hearshot Kid
Summary: After a terrible first day of working together at Raiko's request, tempers flare between Asami and Varrick, and some unexpected feelings are revealed. Zhurrick. Potential Book 4 spoilers.


Asami stared bored out the window over her desk, leaning her head in the palm of her hand. The sun was setting, which meant that her first day of working with Varrick was coming to a close. Working was putting it nicely; what she actually did was play assistant to Varrick all day, and even that was a stretch.

If she had been asked what had been accomplished on that first day, Asami was confident that she wouldn't have an answer. From the moment she walked in, bright and early and on schedule, and saw Varrick already slaving away, knee-deep in what appeared to be hours of work, she knew that this was going to be a disaster. She was going to have to fight to be treated as an equal, and so she made every attempt to. She asked questions, she offered assistance, she put forth every possible effort to make some sort of contribution.

He gave her no such opportunity. He didn't stop once all day; not to speak, not to eat or drink anything of substance, not for any reason at all. He worked as if he were the only one in the room, and for a while, Asami was convinced that he thought that was the case. So she decided to assert herself. She asked what he was doing, why he was doing what he did, if there was anything she could do to help; he responded only with vague answers, lacking any substance, then dove back into his work.

This continued for hours. The entire day was spent in practical silence, except for the sounds of clanking tools and pens on paper, with Asami sitting at her desk while Varrick worked tirelessly. The rare instance in which Varrick called for her was music to her ears, but her excitement faded when she realized it was only to write something down, or to hand him some ambiguous "thing" which always required clarification, to the annoyance of Varrick.

By the time the sun began to set, Asami was ready to explode. However, despite her burning desire to do so, Asami was too exhausted and eager to leave to waste what little of her energy remained by shouting her frustrations at him. However, she was less than eager to have to deal with this again in the morning. She wasn't about to let him sit her down for hours, only calling her for grunt work when she was needed. She wasn't going to ignore it. They were equals on this project, and he was going to treat her like one.

"Varrick," Asami made sure there was an edge in her voice, "Why aren't you accepting my help? We're supposed to be working on this project together."

For what felt like the first time all day, Varrick looked up from his work at Asami, "I built the weapon. I'd know better than anyone how to stop it," he returned to the project, "Just let me do my thing, I got it under control."

Those words set the bomb off, "I can't believe you!" Asami slammed her fist on the table as she stood up, the impact startling Varrick to attention, "You've been bossing me around and making me sit on my butt all day because you think you're high and mighty enough to be able to handle this yourself? News flash, Varrick! This prototype doesn't even come close to the power we need to repel their weapons! How do I know that? Maybe if you'd listened to me, you'd know that Korra saw them taking significantly higher concentrations of spirit energy than your original blueprint ever called for!"

Varrick realized she was right. If Kuvira's army was systematically taking vines from the Banyan Grove tree in the swamp, then the two of them were going to need to repel a much higher concentration of spirit energy than Varrick had ever worked with before. He'd need to make some adjustments to his original plan for the project. That was obvious; why hadn't he thought of that before?

He relented, "Alright, alright, maybe I do need another head on this to steer me straight-"

"Of course you do!" Asami interrupted, "This is what's supposed to happen. We were assigned to stop the spirit weapon together, as equals. If you want someone to treat like your little assistant, then go hire one. That's not what I'm here for."

To Asami's surprise, Varrick didn't have a witty comeback prepared to sling at her that time. He simply stared at her as if she were still speaking, for just the right length of time to cause her discomfort, then continued working as if nothing happened. This isn't the usual Varrick, Asami thought. Then, it hit her; Varrick hadn't been acting like himself for a while.

What first indicated this to her was how quiet the lab was all day. She knew Varrick's work habits quite well; he was loud, he was messy, he'd cheer himself pridefully with every discovery and shout in frustration at every mistake. It was obnoxious, but that was Varrick. That didn't happen today.

Then, she realized that something else was different, something much more important than how loud the room was. She realized the true reason why she was being treated like an assistant all day, and it was something of much more depth than a control-freak superiority complex.

Varrick, for the first time, was without his loyal assistant, Zhu Li. He was alone.

"Wait a minute," Asami said, her curiosity beginning to get the best of her.

"What now?" Varrick did not move from his work.

"I knew something was off. Where's Zhu Li?"

At the sound of her name, Varrick froze for a moment. From the corner of his eye, he saw Asami react to that, the burning anger in her eyes softening at the sight of what he considered a small, involuntary reaction. He suddenly feared that he'd roused suspicion in her, or worse- concern. He had to play off Zhu Li's leaving like it was nothing. He wasn't about to let Asami see him at his worst.

"Oh, right. Zhu Li," Varrick spoke, now pretending to work in order to avoid eye contact, "We had a spat, couldn't solve it. She ended up quitting. Not much to it," he felt himself lying through his teeth, pretending nothing happened at all, and for once, he didn't like the taste. It had never been so hard for him to lie before; he couldn't understand why.

"Well, it took her long enough," Asami laughed to herself.

Varrick couldn't hold his tongue, "I'm sorry?" He couldn't control the edge in his voice. He knew he wasn't meant to hear those words, but they angered him far more than he expected them to. _I guess she's not too concerned, then, _he thought to himself.

"I'm about to bash my head in after one day with you. I can't even imagine being treated like this for however long she had to put up with you."

That was more than Varrick could handle, "Alright, I get it, okay? I was a jerk to her. I know that. No need to rub it in," he felt the words dribbling out of his mouth before he could stop them.

Asami stared for a moment, surprised that Varrick, ever-resilient and virtually indestructible as he was, had taken such offense to her comment. Immediately realizing that she had gone too far, she struggled to take it back, "I-I didn't mean to-"

"I don't care what you meant, you were right," Varrick suddenly felt as if the brakes had failed, his heart beginning to pound harder in his chest as he spewed words he couldn't control, "I messed up, big time. She deserves a hell of a lot more than I ever gave her, and that's not hard to find."

Both of them stopped what they were doing. Neither of them made an effort to make eye contact. For the first time all day, the room was in complete and utter silence, and for a time, neither of them seemed like they were going to be the one to break it.

"So..." Asami was the first to make the effort, "This all seems to me like a little more than a 'spat.'"

"I'm not gonna bore you with it," Varrick sighed as he began to pack up his things, "I'll shut up before you _actually_ bash your head in," he waved his hands emphatically before rolling his eyes and continuing what he was doing.

"No, no," a guilty Asami pleaded with him, "Maybe I was a little hard on you. I'm sorry. It seems like you've been through a lot."

"You're telling me," Varrick scoffed.

Asami never thought she could feel sympathy for the man who robbed her blind. But here she was, locked in a room with the most selfish, relentless man she had ever worked with, who she had just bullied into spilling his insecurities to her. This was neither the Varrick that Asami was expecting nor the one she was accustomed to; she wasn't sure how to react. All she knew was that she somehow had to make it up to him, for her own sake.

"Why don't you let me help you?" She suggested to an unreceptive Varrick. Determined, she pushed it further, "Come on, it's the least I can do. And besides, we're stuck working on this project together. We might as well kill some time. Tell me what happened."

"Fine, you win," Varrick motioned for Asami to sit as he headed for a seat of his own. He leaned his elbow against the side of the desk before continuing, "Look, I'm gonna make this brief. We try to escape from Kuvira, we get caught. They're gonna send her and Bolin to the camps while I'm locked up building the weapon. Then, _then_, she gets down on her knees and begs Kuvira to take her back! How, you ask? By praising her and slamming me! She's putting me down left and right. She made the guards drag me away... and I haven't seen her since."

Asami soaked up his words like a sponge, watching as the natural born storyteller grew more and more animated with every word. This was a lot more than a spat. This was betrayal, point blank. And Varrick wasn't taking it well at all.

"That's terrible," was all Asami could say.

"I know, right?" Varrick agreed, "And while I'm clawing my way back to Republic City with the kid, I realize. She was right! Everything she said was true, all of it."

"And now you feel guilty."

"Oh, you bet I do! I can't function without Zhu Li!"

Asami almost felt bad for Varrick. She knew how much he depended on Zhu Li; the thought of her suddenly abandoning him, especially at such a crucial moment, was almost beyond Asami's comprehension. Even further from it was the thought of Varrick trekking across the Earth Kingdom without his loyal assistant.

Then, a thought crossed her mind.

"Why didn't you just hire another assistant?"

Varrick turned abruptly towards Asami, as if her suggestion was a new revelation to him. "You know, I never even thought of that," he admitted.

Asami smiled knowingly to herself. Varrick didn't just miss Zhu Li's constant service. And he felt a whole lot more than just disappointment towards her. She knew there was something there that he wasn't picking up on, and she was going to help him see it.

She hinted at it, "Shouldn't that tell you something?"

"I don't know, should it?" Varrick replied almost immediately.

Asami sighed. Varrick might have been one of the brightest minds in the world, but he was hopeless when it came to dealing with feelings. She decided not to waste any more time on implications, spelling everything out for him, "You don't just want another assistant. You want Zhu Li back. I guess you're not as selfish as you seem, because you don't just miss her work. Plenty of people can do the work, right? You'd have thought of that by now. You miss her."

The more Asami spoke, the more Varrick pieced together his feelings. He couldn't believe it; she was right! Any poor old sap could do the work, but he wasn't looking for just anyone. He wasn't in need of an assistant. He was in need of Zhu Li. He missed everything about her; he even missed simply having her stand by his side. He suddenly realized the real depth and magnitude of those feelings, and he didn't bother to consider whether or not it was reasonable or possible before blurting out,

"I have to tell her. How do I tell her?"

"Relax, relax," Asami couldn't help but let out a laugh at the sight of Varrick's desperation, "I think I've got a way we can make that happen. It might take a while to get around to, but-"

"I don't care, just give me whatever you've got!"

"Alright, alright," Asami continued, "We're gonna have to head to the swamp if we want to stop Kuvira's spirit vine weapons entirely, right?"

"Right."

"If Zhu Li's working under Kuvira, they had to have put her on the weapon project. I mean, that's what she was assigned to do with you, right? That means she's gotta be at the swamp, too, and you can find her there."

"Of course!" Varrick dug his head into his palm. _Man, am I off my game today_! He thought to himself. "Where else would they put her? I should've thought of that..." He slammed his arm on the desk, his head following. He felt like an idiot. Why couldn't he think clearly?

"I'll let you slide. You've got other things on your mind," Asami smiled as she prepared to leave with her belongings.

_Other things? What the..._ Varrick began to question what she had meant, but at that moment, something clicked in his head. Other things were on his mind. They occupied so much space in his brain that he couldn't even properly think or reason. It was Zhu Li, all of it was Zhu Li. And he didn't just miss her. He loved her.

"Oh, right, those... things," he played it off, pretending his sudden epiphany hadn't shaken him at all. _How did she know that before I did?_

Asami smiled, "Don't think too much into it. I'm gonna head off," she leaned into the door.

"Uh, before you go," Varrick spoke before he could consider what he was saying. Asami stopped for him, standing patiently in front of the door so that it would not close. A few awkward moments passed during which Varrick was mustering up the right words to say, "I guess... I should thank you, for... you know, helping, and stuff."

"Stop, it was nothing," Asami turned for the door, "I'll see you bright and early tomorrow."

"Right. Bright and early," Varrick muttered to himself as he began to organize his own belongings. He knew working with Asami would be an interesting experience, but he never expected any of this. He went in with folders full of numbers and figures and blueprints, with intentions to slave away on those, pack up, and clock out. He never anticipated socializing, especially of that nature. And love certainly wasn't in the equation.

But somehow, it worked out in his favor. He was going to see Zhu Li again. He was going to tell her he loved her. Perhaps, despite this not being what he had planned, it was exactly what he needed.

And if this was what day one brought him, he couldn't wait for day two.


End file.
